Pan fried dumplings with garlic ginger oyster sauce

Dumplings are common in Asian cuisine, particularly in Chinese and Japanese cuisine. Dumplings are also a must-have delicacy for Chinese New Year and festival celebrations.

However, many foreigners and people from other countries increasingly enjoy dumplings. Dumplings are no longer exclusively a New Year's festival delicacy, and there are no rules about when they must be consumed. Freshly packaged dumplings that can be eaten in and taken out appear to be highly popular and convenient if you want to eat them every day. Dumplings are also easily available in supermarkets. Young people who work outside are sometimes too lazy to make such handmade dumplings. The frozen dumplings purchased at the grocery or supermarket are what they consume the most.

Everyone loves dumplings, and I always order one dish of dumplings when I go out to eat, even if I have eaten a lot of other things. However, I like to cook my own dumplings at home and eat them. I have cooked boiled dumplings and eaten dumplings with soup noodles, and pan-fried dumplings. Dumplings can be eaten in a variety of ways. However, mastering the stuffing and dough is crucial.

When looking up a recipe online, you will see that there is a difference between dumplings and gyoza in terms of flavour, filling, and dough. But for my dumplings, I am going to combine the two methods. I am using the Japanese pan-fried dumpling (Gyoza) method, which is to steam the dumpling and pan-frying the dumplings until the bottoms are golden brown. But for my method, I will add in the garlic and ginger oyster sauce halfway through to allow the garlic sauce to seep into the dumplings. As a result, there will be no dipping sauce in my recipe.

Although store-bought dumpling wrappers are convenient, I like to use fresh wrappers for certain types of dumpling pleats. Furthermore, when cooked, homemade dumpling skins have a softer, chewier texture. That is why making the wrappers from scratch is worth the effort.

INGREDIENTS for the filling

450g      ground pork

1 tbsp    oyster sauce

1 tsp      soya sauce

1 stalk   coriander

1 stalk   spring onion

20 cm    fresh ginger, minced

5 tsp      corn starch

3 tsp      Shaoxing wine

4 tsp      sesame oil

2 tbsp    water

 

STARCHY WATER (for steaming the dumplings)

2 tsp      all-purpose flour

250ml    water

 

GARLIC GINGER OYSTER SAUCE

1 head   garlic, minced

20 cm    fresh ginger, minced

1 stalk   coriander stem, cut into pieces

1 stalk   spring onion, white part, cut into pieces

2 tbsp    oyster sauce

2 tsp      light soya sauce

1 tsp      sugar

1 tbsp    water

 

INGREDIENTS for the dumpling’s wrapper

250g high protein flour

¼ tsp salt

100ml hot water

50ml ice water

 

 

METHODS

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dumpling filling ingredients and the marinade; swirl the filling in a clockwise manner with chopsticks or a fork until it is slightly stretchy, then cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

2. In a circular motion, pour hot water into the flour and whisk it with a rubber spatula to form a loose dough. Pour in the ice water and stir until a sticky dough forms.

3. Place the dough on the worktable and knead it gently with your hands until it forms a smooth, hard dough; do not overwork the dough; we are not making bread dough. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 30 minutes to rest at room temperature.

4. Flour the table, divide the dough into tiny pieces, flatten each piece with your palm into a circle, and roll flat with a rolling pin. To keep the dough from sticking, it must be dusted.

5. Place an adequate amount of filling in the center of the dumpling skin, wet the dumpling skin's edge, and fold it into a dumping form. I like to make my dumplings in the shape of a half-moon. After wrapping, dust the bottom of the platter with flour to make it less sticky.

6. Mix the starch water thoroughly. In a separate bowl, combine all the ingredients for the garlic ginger oyster sauce to be used later.

7. Once the pan is hot, apply a small layer of oil on the surface (I am using a non-stick pan), put the dumplings in a close arrangement in the pan, and add the starchy water which is enough to cover the normal height of the dumplings, cover the pan and cook at medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes or until the water in the pan has partially evaporated. Add the garlic sauce halfway through, cover the pan again, and simmer on low heat until the water has completely evaporated, and the bottoms of the dumplings turned golden brown and crispy.

Hope you find this guide useful and enjoy these pan-fried dumplings to the fullest. Happy cooking!!